1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an image enhanced optical correlator system, and more particularly pertains to an optical system in which an input image is optically preprocessed according to its polarization properties prior to processing thereof in an optical correlator. The subject invention depends upon the property of a target to reflect radiation with different polarization characteristics. The image enhancing techniques taught by the present invention can be applied to radar, visual, infrared and other developed images.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Prior art techniques are available for preprocessing, eliminating, enhancing and otherwise preparing an image for further processing, but these are predominantly all digital computer processing techniques.
One known prior art processing technique uses two separate input images (e.g. photos taken at two different times), and optically processes the separate input images for differences therein. However, this processing technique is quite different from the polarized processing of a single input image as taught by the present invention.